96-year-old Zim man dragged out of Botswana hospital bed and deported

SELEBI-PHIKWE: There was drama at Selebi-Phikwe Government Hospital when Immigration officials dragged a 96-year-old man believed to be a Zimbabwean from his hospital bed.

 The patient put up some resistance against the officials and had he the strength to fight them, he would have done that. He tried by all means to explain his situation to the officials but they were determined to repatriate him back to his home country.  

One of the residents of Selebi-Phikwe who was present when the senior 'illegal immigrant' was being dragged from his sickbed, Tumalano Keothokile told Mmegi that Alfred Khumalo came to Botswana in 1943 and settled in Sebina village. He said that Khumalo also moved to Matenge village and subsequently relocated to Selebi-Phikwe. He explained that he met Khumalo in 1990 and all these years he has been treating him as he would his own father.Khumalo was born in 1917 to a missionary father and his mother is alleged to be originally from Kwa-Zulu Natal Province in South Africa.

Keothokile said Khumalo was in the process of acquiring citizenship but it was unfortunate that the process had taken long to be completed. He said that the repatriated elderly man was staying in Botshabelo Location and was admitted at the hospital after suffering a stroke."I was in possession of citizenship application forms all along but the Immigration officials came to my place on Friday last week and took them.

 "They told me that they wanted to use them to assist the old man. I am surprised that today (Monday) they are repatriating him without consulting me," said Keothokile.He stated that he was shocked by the decision that was taken by Immigration officials and that they went behind his back to use the papers against Khumalo.  

He described the decision as cruel and inhuman.  Mmegi investigations revealed that Khumalo was in a relationship with a certain woman in Selebi-Phikwe but they were not married and did not have children together.

It has also emerged that Khumalo was taking care of the woman's children as if they were his own father.  Keothokile noted that the children have refused to take responsibility of the ailing Khumalo. He also doubted if he had relatives in his native country because he spent all his life in Botswana.One of the officers who was part of the team taking Khumalo back to Zimbabwe was overheard by this Mmegi correspondent saying that Khumalo was not a Motswana and he has no place of residence.

 He said that the old man can still be allowed to visit Botswana if he has a passport. He also added that they have already made arrangement with Zimbabwean officials to accept Khumalo.Keothokile wondered where Khumalo was being taken because he has never been to Zimbabwe since he left in 1943.   He said the 96-year-old man was being tortured for nothing.

Meanwhile, Selebi-Phikwe assistant district officer, Kushatha Tsokedi told Mmegi that she was not aware of the case.  Despite that, she explained that Immigration officials were better placed to respond. A senior immigration officer at the regional office said she could not comment on the matter because she has not been informed about it.  She also said that for her to talk to the media, she would have to have authorised permission from Francistown.